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US 12,243,364 B2Granted
Method and means for virtual property keys
AssigneeiLOQ Oy
InventorTomi Karjalainen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Door lock systems are disclosed. More particularly, virtual keys in door lock systems of properties such as houses and apartments, and public properties such as parking garages, or sports facilities, are disclosed. This includes managing virtual key based access of temporary users, to a property or a vehicle sealed by a self-powered lock, from the mobile phone of a permanent user. This is achieved by virtual configurable software keys which are operable with a mobile application, and configurable from the mobile application of the permanent user. These virtual configurable software keys are typically text strings with a data footprint sufficiently small to be transmitted over NFC.
Claims23
A system for locking and unlocking at least one door to a property unit or a vehicle, comprising a cloud server, a mobile device used by a user and a communication network,
- wherein the mobile device has a mobile application connected to the cloud server configured to store a virtual key for facilitating the locking or unlocking a lock of a door,
- wherein the virtual key is configured to be sent to a second mobile application also connected to the cloud server,
- wherein the mobile application is arranged to be used by a permanent user of the property unit or vehicle to configure a restricted virtual key,
- wherein the restricted virtual key will at least one of:
- (i) only open a restricted set of doors from all doors in the property unit or vehicle, or (ii) only open one or more doors for a restricted period of time,
- wherein the restricted virtual key is configured to be sent by the permanent user to another user via a communication network to a messaging inbox of a second mobile device associated with the other user, and
- the restricted virtual key from the messaging inbox is configured to allow the other user to open the restricted set of doors during the restricted period of time at the property unit or vehicle by user activation of the restricted virtual key in a message or an email received in the messaging inbox, causing the restricted virtual key to be transmitted via near field communication (NFC) to a lock, wherein user activation of the restricted virtual key comprises tapping an icon integrated into the message or the email, the icon being representative of the restricted virtual key,
- wherein the restricted virtual key is a code that comprises both an access key to the property unit or vehicle, and a block list listing blocked locations and blocked times for locations,
- wherein the door has an NFC reader which is configured to read the restricted virtual key, and open the lock in the door if the restricted virtual key grants access through the door at the time of use, and
- wherein the lock is a self-powered lock deriving its operating power from insertion of the virtual key via an NFC connection from the messaging inbox.
7 more elements
A software program product, stored in a non-transient memory medium, for locking and unlocking at least one lock in a door to a property unit or a vehicle, operable in a system comprising a cloud server, a mobile device used by a user and a communication network,
- wherein the mobile device has a mobile application connected to the cloud server configured to store a virtual key for facilitating the locking or unlocking of a door with a lock,
- wherein the virtual key is configured to be sent to a second mobile application also connected to the cloud server,
- wherein the mobile application is arranged to be used by a permanent user of the property unit or vehicle to configure a restricted virtual key,
- wherein the restricted virtual key will at least one of:
- (i) only open a restricted set of doors from all doors in the property unit or vehicle, or (ii) only open one or more doors for a restricted period of time,
- wherein the restricted virtual key is configured to be sent by the permanent user to another user via a communication network to a messaging inbox of a second mobile device associated with the other user, and
- the restricted virtual key from the messaging inbox is configured to allow the other user to open the restricted set of doors during the restricted period of time at the property unit or vehicle by user activation of the restricted virtual key in a message or an email received in the messaging inbox, causing the restricted virtual key to be transmitted via near field communication (NFC) to a lock, wherein user activation of the restricted virtual key comprises tapping an icon integrated into the message or the email, the icon being representative of the restricted virtual key,
- wherein the restricted virtual key is a code that comprises both an access key to the property unit or vehicle, and a block list listing blocked locations and blocked times for locations,
- wherein the door has an NFC reader which is configured to read the restricted virtual key, and open the lock in the door if the restricted virtual key grants access through the door at the time of use, and
- wherein the lock is a self-powered lock deriving its operating power from insertion of the virtual key via an NFC connection from the messaging inbox.
7 more elements
A system for locking and unlocking at least one lock in a door to a property unit, comprising a cloud server, a mobile device used by a user, and a communication network,
- wherein the mobile device has a mobile application connected to the cloud server configured to store a virtual key for facilitating the locking or unlocking of a door with a lock,
- wherein the virtual key is configured to be sent to and received from a second mobile application also connected to the cloud server,
- wherein the mobile application is arranged to be used by a permanent user of the property unit to configure a restricted virtual key,
- wherein the virtual key is configured to open at least one door lock in the property unit,
- wherein the restricted virtual key is configured to be sent by the permanent user to another user via a communication network to a messaging inbox of a second mobile device associated with the other user,
- the restricted virtual key from the messaging inbox is configured to allow the other user to open a restricted set of doors during a restricted time at the property unit by user activation of the restricted virtual key in a message or an email received in the messaging inbox, causing the restricted virtual key to be transmitted via near field communication (NFC) to a lock, wherein user activation of the restricted virtual key comprises tapping an icon integrated into the message or the email, the icon being representative of the restricted virtual key,
- wherein the restricted virtual key is a code that comprises both an access key to the property unit, and a block list listing blocked locations and blocked times for locations, and
- wherein the door has an NFC reader which is configured to read the restricted virtual key, and open the lock in the door if the restricted virtual key grants access through the door at the time of use,
- wherein the mobile application is connected to a domestic appliance other than the lock or the key,
- wherein the mobile application is connected to a database storing information of the property unit and one or more domestic appliances in the property unit, and,
- wherein the system is configured to generate at least one of data output or actionable data linking domestic appliance data with lock and key related access data in the property unit from the messaging inbox.
8 more elements
A software program product, stored in a non-transient memory medium, for locking and unlocking at least one lock of a door to a property unit, operable in a system comprising a cloud server, a mobile device used by a user, and a communication network,
- wherein the mobile device has a mobile application connected to the cloud server configured to store a virtual key for facilitating the locking or unlocking of a door with a lock,
- wherein the virtual key is configured to be sent to a second mobile application also connected to the cloud server,
- wherein the mobile application is arranged to be used by a permanent user of the property unit to configure a restricted virtual key,
- wherein the virtual key is configured to open at least one door lock in the property unit,
- wherein the restricted virtual key is configured to be sent by the permanent user to another user via a communication network to a messaging inbox of a second mobile device associated with the other user,
- the restricted virtual key from the messaging inbox is configured to allow the other user to open a restricted set of doors during a restricted time at the property unit by user activation of the restricted virtual key in a message or an email received in the messaging inbox, causing the restricted virtual key to be transmitted via near field communication (NFC) to a lock, wherein user activation of the restricted virtual key comprises tapping an icon integrated into the message or the email, the icon being representative of the restricted virtual key,
- wherein the restricted virtual key is a code that comprises both an access key to the property unit, and a block list listing blocked locations and blocked times for locations, and
- wherein the door has an NFC reader which is configured to read the restricted virtual key, and open the lock in the door if the restricted virtual key grants access through the door at the time of use,
- wherein the mobile application is connected to a domestic appliance other than the lock or the key,
- wherein the mobile application is connected to a database storing information of the property unit and one or more domestic appliances in the property unit, and,
- wherein the system is configured to generate at least one of data output or actionable data linking domestic appliance data with lock and key related access data in the property unit from the messaging inbox.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.